“THE MAIN CHARACTER” — Fans ecstatic as Stray Kids’ Hyunjin becomes the most searched K-pop idol at the SBS Gayo Daejeon 2024

Hyunjin of Stray Kids became the most talked-about idol at the SBS Gayo Daejeon on December 25, 2024. The fanfare was centered around his bold and unexpected new look, a blonde buzz cut that took everyone by surprise. Fans quickly fell for his fresh style, flooding social media with admiration and excitement.

As confirmed by Google Trends a day later, Hyunjin trended domestically and internationally, amassing over 3.2 million tweets on Twitter/X following the reveal. This achievement crowned him the highest-trending K-pop idol globally during the event.

“He always carries the weight of being the main event,” a fan said.

“HYUNJIN YOU'RE ALREADY HISTORIC, a fan exclaimed.

“You’ll always be famous. you set the standard higher than before,” a fan stated.

“Mind u he did that with literally a haircut,” a fan centered netizens’ attention towards the mere reason of him going viral.

Some other fans expressed their pride with the words,

“Hyunjin's appearance with a buzzcut is truly impressive,” a fan described.

“His global impact is undeniable!” another fan exclaimed.

“The news saying he’s grown into a global cultural icon is absolutely spot on.” a fan remarked.

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Hyunjin captures global attention with his new buzz haircut

Stray Kids were among the K-pop groups that attended the SBS Gayo Daejeon at the Inspire Arena in Incheon on Christmas Eve, 2024. While the event featured numerous idol performances, Stray Kids stole the spotlight even before taking the stage during their red-carpet appearance.

Three of the group’s members debuted new hairstyles, capturing fans’ attention instantly. Han showcased navy blue hair; Felix, who had long been recognized for his blonde locks, surprised everyone with his black hair. However, Hyunjin caused a stir by debuting a blonde buzz cut. Known for his signature long hair, his transformation shocked fans, but they expressed fondness towards the cut.

The star's buzz cut had been hinted at back in 2023 during one of his live streams, where he mentioned wanting to try a shorter hairstyle. However, he refrained until this year’s end. His appearance was a notable part of the event, and his performance with Stray Kids on tracks like Walking on Water and Mountains received significant attention. Fans eagerly shared videos and fancams, contributing to a massive surge in online trends.

On the event day, the idol trended at #7 worldwide on Google and became the highest-trending K-pop idol globally. Within 9 hours of the reveal, he garnered 2.4 million tweets, setting social media on fire.

Other idols who trended alongside him included G-Dragon, Karina of aespa, and Felix.

Hyunjin’s has always been known as one of the most successful idols of the 4th generation. Earlier this month, on December 1, he became the first 4th-gen idol to surpass 50 billion hashtag views on TikTok. Additionally, at the start of this year, he marked 4 consecutive years as the most-searched 4th-gen idol on Google.